September 8, 2016

Julian Assange - useful

Several conservative pundits have criticized conservatives for erroneously cheering on Julian Assange. No doubt Assange has been a double edged sword not only for conservatives but also for America. His Wikileaks site has done more harm than good. But it has done some good and it does serve a purpose. I think it's fair to say that most people on the right are not lionizing Assange or Snowden and their ilk.

It's not a good idea however, to ignore useful information when it's provided, no matter how it was obtained. This one issue has the potential not only to derail Hillary Clinton but also keep the Senate Republican. To ignore it, to not take advantage of it, is folly.

It does not mean that Assange will be invited at the next Republican convention to speak via satellite. He is not a hero. No one on the right is planning an Assange parade. He is merely a convenient and welcome opportunity to be leveraged. I suspect most conservatives see him as nothing more or less and have not forgotten that the Chinese and others have benefitted from his actions, to the detriment of America. That said, the political jiu jitsu of using your opponent's momentum to your favor is inarguably a smart thing to do.

One last thought for your consideration - doesn't the fact that Assange has access to all of this intelligence tell you something about the weakness of American cybersecurity? The fact alone that he has brought to light the need to improve that, is another important purpose that Assange has served.